The present invention relates generally to the field of dental instruments. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dental pick for removing food and plaque deposits from areas of the teeth and gums that are not accessible with a toothbrush.
It is well known that proper oral hygiene requires a frequent and regular regimen of teeth cleaning in order to remove food particles and plaque from the teeth. The toothbrush is the most commonly used instrument for cleaning the teeth, however there are certain areas of the teeth that the toothbrush cannot properly clean. These areas include the interproximal spaces between adjacent teeth as well as the surfaces of the teeth close to and beneath the gum line.
The interproximal space between adjacent teeth is somewhat triangular and normally filled with gingival tissue, and specifically is referred to as the gingival papilla. The gingiva, or gum, is the soft tissue in the mouth which covers the alveolar bone and surrounds the teeth. Proper contact and alignment of adjoining teeth allow proper spacing between the teeth for the necessary gingival tissue which is attached to the alveolar bone and the teeth for protection. A shallow pocket, or sulcus is formed close to the gum line, at the junction of the gum and tooth.
In general, most teeth do not have a uniform round shape. More specifically, indentations or depressions are commonly found on the surfaces of the teeth, and are generally referred to as developmental depressions. Due to the irregular surfaces of the teeth, there exist certain areas which cannot be thoroughly cleaned using currently available dental devices. In particular, the developmental depressions formed on the opposing vertical faces of adjacent teeth are especially difficult to clean, even by dental professionals.
Heretofore, outside of a dentist's office, dental floss has primarily been used by the patient to remove plaque from between the teeth. When used properly, dental floss removes plaque accumulating in the gaps between the teeth by a shaving or scaling action with the floss being slid back and forth between the interproximal spaces of the teeth. In most instances, the shape of the tooth is such that when dental floss is used, it rides on the corners of the teeth and thus does not enter the developmental depressions. Moreover, a tight contact between adjacent teeth makes it difficult to slide the floss between the teeth. In such cases, while it is possible to force the floss therebetween, the rebound caused by the force used to pass the floss between the teeth can traumatize the tender gingival tissue. Further, dental floss cannot be used to clean the gum line pockets on the lingual or facial sides of the teeth.
In addition to dental floss, there have been a number of rigid toothpick type devices used for the cleaning and scraping of the teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 2,016,597, for example, describes a device for tooth cleaning and gum stimulating which is triangular in cross section and has a tapered form. The tapered form of this device enables it to enter the interproximal spaces, and the triangular cross-sectional shape allows the flat sides of the device to engage the surfaces of the tooth. This device, however, can become impacted between tightly adjoining teeth due to the tapered, triangular design and further, this device is too bulky to allow subgingival cleaning. Another tooth cleaning implement is described in Schole U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,537. The Schole reference teaches the use of a thin pick to clean plaque deposits from between teeth. While the risk of becoming impacted is substantially eliminated, the flat, blunt end of the device makes it unsuitable for cleaning below the gum line, an area in which a large percentage of plaque and bacteria accumulate.
As plaque accumulates in the areas where prior devices are unable to clean, the gums become increasingly irritated and the pockets between the teeth and gums deepen, resulting in the accumulation of even more plaque and the formation of a bacteriological environment. The result of such accumulation of bacteria is gingivitis, a disease which affects the gum tissue, or gingiva. If, however, the degenerative process extends into the deeper structures, it is known as periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is an inflammatory lesion caused by bacteria affecting the tissues housing the roots of the teeth. This disease, sometimes referred to as pyorrhea, increases in prevalence and severity with increasing age. In general, the diseased tissue appears abnormally red and slightly swollen. Further, the diseased gingiva tends to bleed, sometimes profusely, when the teeth are brushed. In some cases, the gums may become thickened and scarred, and may recede, exposing the root surface. As the disease advances, the attachment of the gum to the tooth is lost and the alveolar bone is resorbed, causing the teeth to become loose, eventually to the point where they fall out.
Both gingivitis and periodontal disease are caused by microorganisms which form plaque on the surfaces of the teeth at the gingival pocket or sulcus, as well as within the developmental depressions. As the plaque calcifies, it becomes calculus or tartar. Tartar tends to be hard, and brushes and dental floss are not suited to removing it. Rather, tartar needs to be chiselled off the teeth.
As with most diseases, prevention is the key to success. Unfortunately, use of the above devices have a number of significant drawbacks. First of all, dental floss requires the use of two hands for proper agitation of food particles and provides the best results when done in front of a mirror. This severely limits the usage of floss during otherwise idle time such as television watching or commuting. Due to the shortcomings of the aforementioned devices, many have turned to chemical means to destroy the bacteria within the mouth. This too leads to undesirable consequences, as some of the bacteria in the mouth are vitally important, and are indiscriminately destroyed by such chemicals.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple to use device, which encourages thorough teeth cleaning on a daily basis in conjunction with regular brushing to prevent plaque from accumulating in the interproximal spaces between the teeth, as well as in the developmental depressions and gum line pockets, so as to thwart the formation of tartar.